Muzaffar Khan
Gulmarg is famous all over the world as one of the health resorts of Kashmir. Gulmarg was named after a famous Kashmiri king,
Badass Yusuf Shah Chak.
Badass Yusuf Shah Chak, who ruled Kashmir from 1579 to 1586, often visited the place with his queen Huba Khatun and named it ‘Gulmarg’ (“meadow of flowers”). 21 different species of wild flowers were collected by the Mughal emperor Jahangir for his gardens in Gulmarg. In the 19th century, British civil servants began using Gulmarg as a retreat to escape the summer heat of the Indian plains of the Ganges. Hunting and golf were their favourite pastimes, and three golf courses were established in Gulmarg, one of which was exclusively for women. One of the golf courses is located at an altitude of 2,650 metres (8,690 ft), making it the highest golf course in the world. In 1927, the British established a ski club in Gulmarg and two annual ski events were held, one at Christmas and one at Easter. Central Asian explorer Oral Stein also visited Gulmarg during this period.
After the end of British rule in India, Gulmarg became part of the independent Dogra state of Kashmir and Jammu. Pakistan planned an invasion of the state under the name Operation Gulmarg. One of the routes used by the invading militia of Pathan tribesmen, armed and supported by Pakistani regular troops, passed through the Haji Pir Pass and Gulmarg advanced towards the state capital Srinagar. Gulmarg fell to the invading army, but the Indian army, led by the 1st Sikh Regiment, successfully defended the outskirts of Srinagar. Indian counterattacks subsequently pushed the tribesmen back – several towns, including Gulmarg, were recaptured. In 1948, the Indian Army established a ski school in Gulmarg, which later became the High Altitude Warfare School. On 1 January 1949, the war ended under UN supervision and a Ceasefire Line (CFL), renamed the Line of Control (LOC) by the 1972 Simla Agreement, was established near Gulmarg.
After India’s independence, Indian planners sought to develop a winter sports destination in India. In 1960, the Department of Tourism, Government of India, invited Rudolf Matt to select a suitable location for the purpose. Matt determined that Gulmarg would serve as a suitable location as a winter sports destination. In 1968, the Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering was established in Gulmarg to train ski instructors. Over the next decade, Indian planners invested ₹30 million (US$350,000) to transform Gulmarg into a world-class ski destination. Gulmarg became a hub for skiers from Asian countries. Heli-skiing was introduced in Gulmarg in the mid-1980s.
In the 1990s, the rise of insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir affected tourism in Gulmarg. However, tourism began to recover in the late 1990s. Work on the cable car project between Gulmarg and Afrat Peak, which was started by the Jammu and Kashmir government in 1988, resumed in 1998 after being halted due to security concerns. In May 1998, Phase 1 of the project began its commercial operation between Gulmarg and Kongdori. Phase 2 of the project was completed in May 2005, making it one of the longest and highest ropeways in Asia. A chairlift installed as part of Phase 3 of the project began operations in 2011. The National Winter Games were held in Gulmarg in 1998, 2004 and 2008. In 2014, the Jammu and Kashmir government drafted a Master Plan 2032 for Gulmarg. The plan includes the development of a solid waste treatment plant on 20 acres of land near Gulmarg.
In this context, winter camps are being held in Gulmarg every year.
This year Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo emphasised the need for optimally utilising the events like ‘Khelo India Winter Games’ for tourism promotion in Jammu and Kashmir at global level.
The Chief Secretary was addressing at a meeting held here to take stock of the preparations being made for successful conduct of 5th edition of ‘Khelo India Winter Games’ at Gulmarg.
Besides the Secretary, YS&S and Dy DG, SAI the meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, Culture Department, ADGP, L&O, DG, F&ES, Commissioner Secretary, GAD, Commissioner Secretary, Tourism, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Secretary, PWD Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla/Budgam, Director, Information and PR besides other concerned officers while out station officers participated online.
Dulloo highlighted the significance of such national level events in promoting brand J&K as one of the prominent tourist destinations. He maintained that Gulmarg being one of the biggest ski destination in whole of the country should be utilised to attract the international skiers by holding exclusive competitions for them. He asked for exploring the possibility of holding Heliskiing competitions for its professional players at the venue.
Regarding successful commencement of winter games, the Chief Secretary asked the divisional administration to coordinate with other departments so that the games are held in a befitting manner. He asked each of the concerned department to extend best of the services to the participants and play their role effectively in making this edition successful.
The Chief Secretary enjoined upon the Youth Services & Sports Department to start their promotional campaigns on their social media handles in order to create necessary buzz about this event. He asked them to use the creatives captured earlier for this purpose. He impressed upon the department to look into holding such events at the tourist destinations of J&K in coordination with the Tourism Department to make year round activity calendar for the adventure lovers all over the country.
